Coliberate

The Stakes

Partners for Collaborative Change developed Coliberate, a participatory action research process that puts the community members most affected by an issue in charge of studying it. Its curriculum had to guide community researchers and facilitators through the whole process.

The Constraints

• A large curriculum: key frameworks, five stages (Connect, Inquire, Plan, Act, Reflect), 30+ activity guides, a research toolbox, and warm-ups.
• Written for community researchers and facilitators, not academics.

Key Decisions

• A dandelion as the structure. I designed a dandelion illustration that organizes the curriculum and visualizes the steps of community development.
• Color-coded sections. Each section takes its color from the dandelion, and those vibrant colors stand out against the guide's cool blue palette, so sections are easy to find.

The Outcome

The curriculum anchors Partners for Collaborative Change's Coliberate partnerships, which now include more than 30 organizations across California and beyond, in public health, environmental, youth, and equity work.